Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere (i.e., a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with his explosive first feature, Reservoir Dogs. Like Tarantino's mainstream breakthrough ... more &raquoPulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs has an unconventional structure, cleverly shuffling back and forth in time to reveal details about the characters, experienced criminals who know next to nothing about each other. Joe (Lawrence Tierney) has assembled them to pull off a simple heist, and has gruffly assigned them color-coded aliases (Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. White) to conceal their identities from being known even to each other. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiasco--and to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these men are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception, and betrayal. As many critics have observed, it is a movie about "honor among thieves" (just as Pulp Fiction is about redemption, and Jackie Brown is about survival). Along with everything else, the movie provides a showcase for a terrific ensemble of actors: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, and Tarantino himself, offering a fervent dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" over breakfast. Reservoir Dogs is violent (though the violence is implied rather than explicit), clever, gabby, harrowing, funny, suspenseful, and even--in the end--unexpectedly moving. (Don't forget that "Super Sounds of the Seventies" soundtrack, either.) Reservoir Dogs deserves just as much acclaim and attention as its follow-up, Pulp Fiction, would receive two years later. --Jim Emerson&laquo less

Movie Reviews

BETTER TRANSFER THAN THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Magpie | NH United States | 10/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just wanted to leave a helpful review for those that are trying to decide whether they should buy the new 15th edition if they already own the 10th. Well, the transfer is much much better than the abysmal one that was put on the 10th. The 10th anniversary edition transfer was a very dull one at best, a step down from the bare bones dvd that was first released by Live when they were still around. The blacks in the Dogs' suits were more dark grey and the overall look was faded. I was never sure if this was a creative choice or that it was simply screwed up. There was plenty of online debate when the disc came out as to the worth of it. This new transfer remedies all of that, the picture is anamorphic, with rich colors, making the film look exactly like what I saw when I used to watch it in the 90s. The 10th also, for some inexplicable reason, dropped a line of Mr. White's dialogue ("I think he's just passed out") but it is thankfully restored here. So if you want the most solid transfer of Reservoir Dogs ever on DVD, this is your buy.The extras, unfortunately, pale in comparison to the 10th, and this is why you'll probably want to keep the 10th around if you're a filmmaking fan. The 10th edition has a documentary interviewing most of the key players in the film as well as some priceless footage from Tarantino's filmmaking lab workshops at Sundance where he (poorly) played Mr. White(!) These are all missing on the new 15th disc, but the new 15th disc carries over "Reservoir Dolls," the torture scene played out by Reservoir Dogs action figures. The 15th also has retrospective commentaries by some of the cast and crew, 2 movie critics, and a film historian all on separate tracks while watching the movie. Rather interesting too. There are a couple of retrospective documentaries discussing the film's impact on the cinema world. There are also deleted scenes carried over from the 10th, but other than that, mostly fodder to get you excited about Reservoir Dogs, including a short featurette about the new video game.So, I suppose I would recommend this double dip if you're a hard-core fan of the film, especially with the superior transfer. You can get it at Circuit City for $12.99 this week which is an excellent price for what you get, but I would hold on to the 10th edition for the filmmaking extras which were not carried over. Oh, and if you're into packaging, this is the best packaging I've ever seen. An aluminum gasoline can where the top comes off and the discs are inside in a large matchbook (I believe the matchbook is limited edition). Sick and brilliant."

One Hell of a Movie! The New DVD is Amazing!!!!

Michael Crane | Orland Park, IL USA | 09/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Reservoir Dogs" is another one of my favorite movies. Despite what critics think, this is a Tarantino masterpiece with unforgettable characters, smooth and cool dialogue, and a shocking finale.

I had the older version of this movie on DVD, and it was all right. The picture wasn't too bad, sound was so-so, and there were virtually no special features. So when I found out that a new remastered and fully-loaded version of the movie was coming out, I knew I had to have it. And I am very glad that I did purchase it.

Since this is a crime flick, the plot and storyline isn't that complex or deep, and there is no reason for it to be. It's pretty simple. Perfect strangers plan the perfect crime, but end up in a bloody set-up. With only four of them left alive, they must uncover the rat in the house. But which one is it? That is something they must find out before the cops get a hold of them in this unforgiving and spectacular crime/noir movie.

The writing is off the hook. Tarantino is a master when it comes to dialogue. Why? Because the characters talk like real people. In ordinary movies, all the characters ever talk about it the plot or scheme. In THIS movie, they talk about everyday normal things that we would talk about, which makes them seem more realistic and convincing. His writing reminds me a lot of Raymond Carver, except with more humor.

The cast is terrific. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, and Steve Buscemi all did their roles justice. Michael Madsen is awesome and cool as Mr. Blonde, who will always be remembered for that very particular role. Buscemi is hillarious, and your eyes never leave his sight when he's on screen. But really, everyone is outstanding in this movie.

The DVD itself is very high quality, including two disks. The picture is remastered in high definition, which really makes it clear. Ten times better than the other version. You can either watch in widescreen or in fullscreen. The sound is also much, MUCH better. You can watch it in dolby digital or in DTS. Considering that this was a really low-budget film, the movie looks and sounds amazing. You will especially appreciate it if you had the previous DVD of the movie.

And there are tons and TONS of extras that will keep you more than happy. Way too many for me to list, but the ones I liked the most were the interviews. (Watch the one with Michael Madsen. That has to be one of the funniest interviews I have ever seen. Just trust me and watch it! I don't want to give too much away.) So, if you are a big fan of bells and whistles, this DVD is the one for you. You will not be disappointed.

Overall, I was more than pleased with this edition of "Reservoir Dogs." I did not mind re-buying it at all. If you still have the original DVD and love this movie very much, GET THIS ONE AS SOON AS YOU CAN! You will not regret it. This is one of my favorites, and proves just how talented Quentin Tarantino is when it comes to writing and directing."

Thrilling, scary, gross, disturbing and unforgettable

Shelley Gammon | Kaufman, Texas USA | 05/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Acting that will blow you away and characters that disgust you even though you're drawn to liking what little likeable part of them remains.Depraved criminals that are racist, sadistic and keenly intelligent are somehow very human and compassionate on one hand and disturbingly evil on the other.This movie is not for those with weak stomachs. Although the psychological element of fear is much stronger than anything you actually see in this film, there are a couple of gory scenes that will scar your memory forever once you see them... the type of deliberate, up close & personal cruelty to another human being that surpasses the desensitizing we've been through by watching other violent scenes on tv and movies. The isolation of the movie taking place almost entirely in one room makes even the most tame scenes un-nerving and uncomfortably intense.Tim Roth's performance is definitely the most piercing. Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn and the rest of the ensemble cast are also riveting.You will never listen to the song "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel the same way again. A song I once really liked still gives me the willies each time I hear it."

Say what you will about Tarantino . . .

the_ninja | 02/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many say he's just an overrated hipster who rips off other movies. Well, in my opinion (and I've seen a lot of movies), Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs had a lot of originality to them (as did Natural Born Killers and to a lesser extent True Romance), but he does have influences. There's nothing wrong with that. He makes good movies and is developing his style. Reservoir Dogs stand as possibly his best movie.First the background: Reservoir Dogs was based on an obscure Chinese film called City on Fire, which was about a detective who infiltrated a jewel thieving ring and went with them on their big heist. Reservoir Dogs is, at it's most basic, the last part of City on Fire. However, the characters and dialogue are all Tarantino's own. And those are the two things that make the movie great. The writing is outstanding. The performances are very good, especially Harvey Keitel as the doomed Mr. White, Michael Madsen as the pscyopathic Mr. Blonde, and Steve Buscemi as the nervous Mr. Pink.As I said above, the dialogue is great. The way the criminals talk is exactly how you'd expect them to, and they play off each other very well. The very minimal plot moves along rapidly, and the movie never lets up for a second, although there is some time distortion concerning flashbacks of the characters (pre-heist and during the heist).Reservoir Dogs is a classic crime movie, and quite essential."

If you're happy with the 10th, keep it.

J. Bishop | Somewhere in America | 10/28/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is the third version of Reservoir Dogs that I've owned, so I was hesitant to buy it. I loved the 10th anniversary edition so when I saw this one I wasn't sure if it was a trade up or not. The packaging is really cool and the actual movie itself seems to have been improved upon from both previous versions. Those are the positive aspects of the disc. The negative are the new special features. If seeing Harry Knowles heap praise on "Res Dogs", or having a tipping scale to see how much the characters would tip a server, or seeing an interview with a game designer are your ideas of great special features then this disc is for you. However, if you would actually like to see the cast and crew talk about the making of the movie then go with the 10th anniversary. The new specials on this one suck. All in all if you're a big fan of the movie, having both versions is probably the best bet because of the new transfer. If you simply want a copy of Reservoir Dogs with some cool special features, go with the 10th anniversary."